Brittany Samples

Today on Inside the Economy with SH&J, we revisit the cause of the high inflation and interest rate environment in the early 1980’s and why looking back in time is important in comparison to today’s economic environment. We also compare and contrast the best performing stocks in the S&P 500 today to the early 2000’s tech bubble. Listen in as we take a stroll down memory lane and more.

Today on Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the sustainability of 2% inflation here in the U.S. and the impact it has on long-term interest rates and mortgage rates despite the Federal Reserve’s increase in short-term rates. Inflation drivers, or lack thereof, also play a role in gasoline prices and car retail sales. Listen in to hear more about China’s recent downgrade by Moody’s, as well as which country has the largest capital inflow into the United States for commercial real estate.

The U.S. consumer debt burden is as low as it’s been in 30 years as savings increase and employment numbers are full. Today we discuss the United States’ need for continued immigration and why increasing interest rates aren’t reflected in money market accounts. Listen in to hear more about U.S. economics and Europe’s end of quantitative easing.

As the U.S. economy nears full employment, consumer confidence has increased and consumer debt has decreased. Today we discuss the impact of the French election and the international marketplace, as well as sovereign debt around the world. Stay tuned to learn more about GDP and inflation projections for 2017.

The Fed has now raised rates another 0.25% with the possibility of reaching 1.0% by the end of 2017. Ultimately, the goal of increasing rates is to keep CPI inflation around the 2% target – today we review why achieving this goal may prove difficult. In addition, we discuss the American Health Care Act (AHCA) as a possible alternative to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the impact this has on Medicaid costs. Stay tuned to learn more about the underlying economics as we end the first quarter of 2017.

This week on Inside the Economy with SH&J, we focus on baby boomers and municipal bonds. Listen in to find out how prepared boomers are for retirement as well as how the lack of growth in sales taxes is impacting municipal bonds. We also discuss the rise in average hourly earnings since 2014 and the trend in consumer and government borrowing. Will we see another Fed Funds rate increase in March?

This week on Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss what the next brewing bubbles in the U.S. economy may be, and whether or not their imbalances could cause the next recession. In addition, we review the capital inflows of international money into U.S. commercial real estate and why China is selling off a portion of their U.S. Treasury holdings. Listen in to hear the economic chances of a recession in the near future.

Happy President’s Day! Each presidency comes with its fair share of champions and naysayers and we all know the numbers can be interpreted to support both sides of the aisle.

We’re celebrating this President’s Day with a look at various economic statistics during each President’s term since Eisenhower (1953 – 1961) as most data wasn’t consistently tracked before then. Enjoy the look back!

This week on Inside the Economy with SH&J, we review the driving forces for raising interest rates and inflation including unemployment, consumer debt, and retail pricing. Also covered is the longer-term potential growth slope for GDP. Listen in to hear this week’s discussion, which includes insight on the United States’ dependence on trade and an update on the Eurozone.

Why go out of your way to save $20 when you can make it back in a few minutes of work? What’s the point in shopping for a deal when you have extra income? The difference between being frugal and being cheap is caring about value as opposed to caring about cost.

Retirement is Coming Whether it’s 5 years or 25 years away, your dream of retirement is coming. If you’re living the life of luxury now instead of pushing money into your retirement plan, you may end up having to pinch pennies during retirement. Do what you can to cut your costs now, while still living comfortably, so you can live with less financial worry during retirement. Talk with your CFP® about about your plans to help get you on the right path for a comfortable retirement.